020115 – Passover And Resurrection Sunday, 2015

The first day of Passover this year will begin at sunset on Friday, April 3, and will continue until sunset on Saturday, April 11.

The date for Resurrection Sunday is April 5.

The word, “Easter,” is used only in the King James Version, 21st Century King James Version, and American King James Version, and in no other translations that are known to this writer.

Acts 12:4 Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)

4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

Acts 12:4 21st Century King James Version (KJ21)

4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him, intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

Acts 12:4 American King James Version

4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people

For the purpose of speaking about the day that Jesus arose from death, this writer prefers to use the words “Resurrection Sunday.”

The word, “Passover,” is used instead of Easter in the New King James Version translation, and others that are known to this writer. Notice that the King James 2000 Bible also uses the word, “Passover.”

Acts 12:4 New King James Version (NKJV)

4 So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.

Acts 12:4, Other Parallel Verses

New International Version
After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.

New Living Translation
Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover.

English Standard Version
And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people.

New American Standard Bible
When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people..

Holman Christian Standard Bible
After the arrest, he put him in prison and assigned four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.

International Standard Version
When he arrested Peter, Herod put him in prison and turned him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, planning to bring him out to the people after Passover season.

NET Bible
When he had seized him, he put him in prison, handing him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him. Herod planned to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he arrested him and cast him into prison and delivered him unto sixteen Soldiers to guard him so that after Passover he would deliver him to the people of Judea,

GOD’S WORD® Translation
After capturing Peter, Herod had him thrown into prison with sixteen soldiers in squads of four to guard him. Herod wanted to bring Peter to trial in front of the people after Passover.

Jubilee Bible 2000
And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him, intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people.

King James 2000 Bible
And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him; intending after the passover to bring him forth to the people.

See from the Barnes Notes On The Bible, the commentary note on the words, “Easter and Passover.”

Intending after Easter – There never was a more absurd or unhappy translation than this. The original is simply after the Passover (μετὰ τὸ πάσχα meta to pascha. The word “Easter” now denotes the festival observed by many Christian churches in honor of the resurrection of the Saviour. But the original has no reference to that, nor is there the slightest evidence that any such festival was observed at the time when this book was written. The translation is not only unhappy, as it does not convey at all the meaning of the original, but because it may contribute to foster an opinion that such a festival was observed in the time of the apostles. The word “Easter” is of Saxon origin, and is supposed to be derived from “Eostre,” the goddess of Love, or the Venus of the North, in honor of whom a festival was celebrated by our pagan ancestors in the month of April (Webster). Since this festival coincided with the Passover of the Jews, and with the feast observed by Christians in honor of the resurrection of Christ, the name came to be used to denote the latter. In the old Anglo-Saxon service-books the term “Easter” is used frequently to translate the word “Passover.” In the translation by Wycliffe, the word “paske,” that is, “Passover,” is used. But Tyndale and Coverdale used the word “Easter,” and hence, it has very improperly crept into our King James Version.

Consider the following verses of scripture as they relate to Jesus entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, which is the Sunday which precedes Resurrection Sunday.

John 12:12-17 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Jesus Enters Jerusalem

12 On the next day the large crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, 13 took the branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel.” 14 Jesus, finding a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written, 15 “Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” 16 These things His disciples did not understand at the first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things to Him. 17 So the people, who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead, continued to testify about Him.

Note: Reformation Study Bible. 12:14, 15 The precise circumstances had been prophesied in Zech. 9:9. This prophecy is noted also in Matthew, and was understood in retrospect by the disciples.

Zechariah 9:9 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem!
Behold, your king is coming to you;
He is just and endowed with salvation,
Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey

Note: Reformation Study Bible. 9:9 This important Old Testament prophecy finds fulfillment both in Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:1–11;John 12:12–16) and in His messianic reign.

Psalm 118:26 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord; We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.

Note: Reformation Study Bible. 118:26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.Later, this cry is lifted up by the crowds as they welcome the true King, Christ Jesus, into Jerusalem (Matt. 21:9). In a way still beyond their understanding, Jesus was about to defeat sin and death on the cross.

Matthew 21:9 21st Century King James Version (KJ21)

9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried out, saying, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

25 Save now, I beseech thee, O Lord: O Lord, I beseech thee, send now prosperity.
26 Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord: we have blessed you out of the house of the Lord.

The following information on Passover was taken from Chabad.org, which is a Jewish newsletter.

The holiday of Pesach, or Passover, falls on the Hebrew calendar dates of Nissan 15-22 (which is April 3-11; my parenthetical note).

Note: The Jewish calendar date begins at sundown of the night beforehand. Thus all holiday observances begin at sundown on the secular dates listed, with the following day being the first full day of the holiday. (Thus, the first Passover seder is held on the evening of the first date listed.) Jewish calendar dates conclude at nightfall.

Consider the creation account that is written in Genesis, Chapter 1, verses which follow.

1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
5 And the evening and the morning were the first day.
8 And the evening and the morning were the second day.
13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.
19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Exodus 20:11 New American Standard Bible (NASB) (Recorded by Moses in 1491, B.C.)

11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

Exodus 31:17 New American Standard Bible (NASB) (Recorded by Moses in 1491, B.C.)

17 It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased from labor, and was refreshed.”

Jesus believed the writings of Moses, as we see in the following account.

John 5:45-47 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”

Notice the continuous and never-ending cycle of evening to morning. Each day of The Jewish Passover also begins in the evening.

Consider the following song of worship and praise that is led by Paul Wilbur. Consider the words, “Baruch Ha Ba B’Shem Adonai,” which is translated, “Blessed Is He Who Comes In The Name Of The Lord.” (see the related verses that are listed above).